Annoying taboos that come with keeping tarantulas.

[jamjam]

Have you ever felt like you have to hide your hobby from people or anything like that? It's so annoying having people think tarantulas are gross and that your gross for having them. Even harder when you're in high school and everyone's like "0_0 you have tarantulas 0_0?"

Anyone ever felt like that?

I guess liking tarantulas comes with being a bit open minded. At first I was like "NOOOO" but then as I researched them I fell in love with how interesting they are. It's so cool to see them and everything they do.

What makes me laugh is that people eat other arthropods like shrimp and crab/lobster yet they're afraid of tarantulas and all that stuff. Oh boy.

Anyways share your thoughts or whatever. I'm pretty interested in how you all take this.

 

[akarikuragi]

-looks at her roaches and T's hidden away in the bathroom- Yeah... XD

I've never really hidden it... Sometimes I'm just not... "HEY EVERYONE I KEEP BUGS AND STUFF AS PETS."

HOWEVER! If I mention it in passing and the person shows interest or even confusion/disgust I will talk their ears off about them, explaining away their misconceptions and fears and unwarranted disgust. I love teaching people about insects and I've found most people are willing to at least listen and learn a little bit. Some people even find it cool. : )

 

[Rhodin]

I keep rats and Ts, I definitely get my fair share off people who look at me with disgust or fear but the rats were my girlfriends idea and she's warming up to the Ts too. The only thing that really bums me out is that some family has decided that they will no longer come/stay at my home anymore so long as they are kept in the house. Even if they were out of sight and locked away.

 

[845BigRed]

I get a lot of "your one step away from being that creepy guy". Though my and my friends always are hard on each other so no worries. The photos I post on facebook tend to get a lot of "kill it with fire" comments.

There are those who think its cool or are creeped out but want to see anyways.

 

[akarikuragi]

I keep rats and Ts, I definitely get my fair share off people who look at me with disgust or fear but the rats were my girlfriends idea and she's warming up to the Ts too. The only thing that really bums me out is that some family has decided that they will no longer come/stay at my home anymore so long as they are kept in the house. Even if they were out of sight and locked away.

I keep rats too! I got them when I was still living with my mom, after my puppy died from parvo and I was feeling the need to have something to replace her. But my mom said no way to anything, even if I said I would pay for it/keep it out of her sight... Well I got them anyways. XD I had them for a good six months before she found them and she only found out because she was in my room (which she rarely did) Regardless of the fact that they were so unintrusive that I had them for six months without her knowing (she thought I'd only had them for a month or two) she was sickened by the thought of having them in her house. I didn't let me out of my room, but just the thought that they were in there was too much for her. She let me keep them but she wasn't happy about it.

I don't understand why someone would be so radically against something as to not want to visit/stay in a house that has them even if they are safely locked away in another room and they will never see, hear, or smell them.

 

[Catch Smiley]

I always wanted a tarantula when I was a kid and my mom always said "no" (she's terrified of spiders). Then I kinda forgot about it when I moved out. A few years went by, went to the zoo and saw a few there. The thought came into my head again. Came home from the zoo, started reading everything I could find about them.......few months later I have two tarantulas (a Chaco Golden Knee named SJ39 and a Mexican Red Knee named CC29) and a scorpion (an Asian Forest named AM2). I tell everyone about them, I show all of my friends the pictures I take of them. I get some comments, like "creepy" and "gross", but that doesn't bother me at all, I still talk about them non-stop.

---------- Post added 05-26-2013 at 01:06 AM ----------

the only comments that I get annoyed with are, and I get this a lot, "Did you get the venom taken out" or "This one doesn't have a venom, does it?" To which I feel the need to explain that they ALL have venom, just some effect humans stronger than others. I even had one of my friends ask me after getting my first T "did you already get it's fangs removed?"

 

[Arachtion]

Most of my friends are fine with it, I think it's just inherited prejudices toward the unknown that cause most people's trepidation toward T's after a while most of my friends have become actually quite fascinated themselves, most strangers however don't see the appeal in having 50+ big hairy spiders in your home voluntarily, I was a little dubious at first but now they don't creep me out at all I look at them like any other pet with no fear or hesitation whatsoever (well besides my H.doriae anyway she TERRIFIES me!) now I see them all as interesting and uniquely beautiful and/or cute in their own little ways

 

[Kazaam]

"your one step away from being that creepy guy"

I feel like I've passed that step years ago.

 

[Stirmi]

I get a lot of weird looks when people hear I have tarantulas especially because I'm in high school too

 

[klawfran3]

I'm known as the "tarantula guy" around my school, but that's a good thing. people pull me from class to get a spider from a classroom that the teacher was too afraid to touch. I'm the hero of my school, apparently...

 

[NAVENTO]

I keep tarantulas at work and at first everyone was freaked out. Then slowly one by one people would stop by and check them out. Now feeding time has become a very popular event. People take time to come around to them but even the biggest arachnophobe at work now brings people she knows to my desk. Tarantulas are just way too cool not grow on you. People call me spider lady and think I am a little crazy but they also ask me lots spider questions. Once you get out of high school being different is seen as good thing so don't let it get you down.

 

[Bongo Fury]

... Once you get out of high school being different is seen as good thing so don't let it get you down.

+1. I can barely remember their names, let alone what they thought of my hobbies.

 

[Spiderkyle]

I'm very proud of my collection and even more proud to be in such a neat and bizarre hobby so no I don't hide mine, most of my co workers ask questions and whatnot, only time I ever hid them was in my old apartment where there was a no pet policy haha, I also enjoy educating people as most think bad or just downright wrong things about tarantulas in general. But yeah the others that posted were right after high school it's alot different, most will respect your choice. I've even converted my arachnophobic mom into actually holding one and enjoying their beauty

 

[freedumbdclxvi]

Nope, I have never had to hide my hobby. No matter which of my hobbies - inverts, comics, video games, RPGs, etc - I am discussing, I never feel ashamed. If others don't like it, that is on them and not me.

 

[KamikazePyro]

When I worked at a pet store, I'd frequently take out the rose hair and let her just chill on my chest or shoulder as I was working. Sometimes when I was at the register with her, some customers would be too freaked out to even really look in my direction, some would be amazed, some would be totally open-minded and even want to learn about them. One lady was a bitch, though. She asked if I was single and I said yes, and she said the reason why is because I like/have tarantulas. Like, seriously? Lol. Must be a lot of single people in this world solely for that reason. XD

Otherwise no, I don't have to hide my hobby. I'm not ashamed of having tarantulas. It actually helps make friends sometimes because it's a good conversation subject, whether it be because the other person is afraid or because they're interested or whatever.

 

[jgerou85]

What makes me laugh is that people eat other arthropods like shrimp and crab/lobster yet they're afraid of tarantulas and all that stuff. .

Yeah but lobster and crab is good

I keep rats too! .

As do I!!. Some of mine seem to have more personality then some people I know .

[/COLOR]the only comments that I get annoyed with are, and I get this a lot, "Did you get the venom taken out" or "This one doesn't have a venom, does it?" To which I feel the need to explain that they ALL have venom, just some effect humans stronger than others. I even had one of my friends ask me after getting my first T "did you already get it's fangs removed?"[/QUOTE]


I get those alot too. Ive even had one person tell me they had one tarantula that they had de venomized from the vet. What an idiot lol.
But as for getting people judging you, Dont let it bother you but get used to it. People will judge you about various things. Hobbies, prefrences, the whole your not a man unless you smoke marlboros and when i drink i make it a dos equesxx (bad spelling) type thing and it will happen for the rest of your life. Do what makes you happy and dont worry about what other people think. I think people who keep pigs as house pets are crazy too but if there happy then hey

 

[Meezerkoko]

I'm currently 25 (almost 26) and living at home with my folks and boyfriend. I have 13 T's and have to hide all of them from my parents and the boyfriend doesn't know about 2, not that he's ever going to go around counting them. I sometimes bring up my T's to people but I mostly get shudders and even a person who freaks out if I even mention and T and throws a fit if I show her hubby a pic of one. Lol. There are always going to be people who are afraid/repulsed by them because it is a learned fear, it will only ever stop if everyone were educated about them. But seeing as that will never happen there will always be stigma. I personally don't mind it and sometimes its a great conversation starter because you can find out a bit about a person by how they react.

Its fun to meet people who actually think that the hobby is interesting and its fun to convert others (my boyfriend has finally decided he doesn't mind admiring them from afar so long as I don't try to get him to hold one. Lol.

 

[CustomEnclosure]

Yo Meez...

...its great to talk about my Ts when people are interested, but for the most part, i keep it to myself. The hobby brings ME enjoyment, i don't really care what people outside the hobby have to say about it.
But i feel the need to clarify something to you. "Its a learned fear" is wrong. We and other primates are hardwired in our brains to fear these and some other creatures in the wild. It was the avoidance of these animals that helped in the propagation of our species.
If you've never seen a snake or heard anything about them and then encountered one in the wild, you'd avoid it by instinct. Same with big cats, sharks, or even the ferocious dog down the street.
The reason why you, I and others can keep them without repulsion is...WE ARE HIGHLY ADVANCED EXAMPLES OF OUR SPECIES!! Ok, that might be a little harsh, but the instinctual fear part of our brain is diminished or more controlled by us. Basically, slowly evolving out of us.
So the next time you encounter a "phobe", have a little sympathy. Thats just human nature, and good thing for it too. We humans might not be here right now if 100,000 years ago we tried to play jump-rope with king cobras.
One more thing, I for one kinda like how small our hobby is. Its "exclusive". I'd hate it if every "Jabroney" and his aunt had Ts.
Keep on keeping.
Sonny

 

[Poec54]

Common assumption, but incorrect. I used to give slide show talks to schools in Michigan, including handling a live adult B. smithi. The younger grades where FAR more open minded about spiders, especially the girls. They were truly interested and fascinated. Almost all of them wanted to pet the spider, and I had to keep them from rushing me and accidently knocking the spider out of my hand. Little, if any fear on anyone's part. This is how we come into the world. In the older grades they were much more reluctant to get close, of course by then they had gotten many 'warnings' and bad advice about spiders from friends and relatives. No pushing and shoving to get up front to pet the spider with them. The fear is not instinctive, it's acquired.

Your assumption about being 'hard-wired' to fear snakes is also wrong. As a 4 or 5-year old child, I saw a circle of older kids making a big commotion in someone's yard. I walked up, saw it was a small snake in the center of them, and much to their horror, gently picked it up and took it home. In spite of the big kids insisting it was poisonous, and assuring me I'd be bit and die, it turned out to be a harmless Decay's snake.

We are conditioned to fear animals. Those people have good intentions, but it's ignorance passed on from one generation to the next, just as superstitions are. We begin life innocent, but it doesn't last long. Those of us who own tarantulas are not 'evolving' any inborn fear out of us; we either never acquired it, or were able to overcome the 'warning's from others.

 

[Meezerkoko]

I agree... with both of you.

That's what I was referring to when talking about it being an squired fear. I was brought up to not fear anything really and as a result I don't. I have healthy respect for animals but have often rescued animals who were not pleased to be being rescued. Lol. Back to the point, I do know that its also partly ingrained. Example, I've never had a fear of snakes and have owned 5 or so, however last year when I saw a large garter snake out of the corner of my eye I freaked the crap out and jumped before my mind could process it. As soon as it did I was like wow cool that's gotta be like 3'+ and probably the biggest one I've ever seen and I had no fear. However that little part of my brain that is more primitive (reptile brain) saw that snake, knew what it was and scared me. Lol, I hope that makes sense.